Moving picture machine safety device



Dec. 15, 1931. R. HENRI ET AL 1,836,071

MGVING PICTURE MACHINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed Feb, 26. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheetl z i I 14 0 33 Z 60/ w I INVENTORS. W 7301? )ye/m' r Patented Dec. 15,1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT HENRI AND FLOYD H. AKINS, OFDETROIT, MICHIGAN MOVING PICTURE MACHINE SAFETY DEVICE Application filedFebruary 26, 1927. Serial No. 171,125.

' Our invention relates to a new and useful Fig. 4 is a sectional viewshowing the improvement in a moving picture machine housing and switchmechanism used in the safety device, and has for itsobject theproinvention. vision of a device which will prevent fire in Fig. 5 is aview taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

5 connection with the operation of a moving Fig. 6 is a-view taken online 66 of Fig. 4. 55 picture machine, particularly aprojecting Fig. 7is a view taken on line 77 of Fig. 4. machine. a Fig. Sis a diagrammaticview of the wiring In the operation of these machines, should, of theinvention. for any reason, the film remain stationary at, In thedrawings we have illustrated a pro 10 the light orifice for a shorttime, on account jecting apparatus showing the invention ap- 60 of theinflammable nature of the film. a fire plied, in which there is used alight housing would result. The stoping of the film in having a lightdeflector 16 mounted forfront of the light orifice may be due tovariwardly of the lens 17. The projecting head ous causes, most commonof which are the 18 is provided with the focusing lens 19. A

15 breaking of the film and a tearing of the housing 20 is provided inwhich is positioned perforations at the side of the film in which a reel21 from which is wound the film 22 on the feed rollers operate. \Ve haveprovided to the reel 23 positioned in the housing 24,

p in the present invention a mechanism wherethis structure being ofconventional type.

by the light is deflected upon the stopping of The customary actuatingand retarding 30 the film for any reason, so that a safety ar mechanismfor feeding films of this class is rangement is provided whereby theimpingused, and no specific description is given of ing of the lightupon any specified part of this actuating and retarding mechanism, thefilm for any prolonged length of time is other than is necessary for afull understandprevented. ing of the present invention, as the retardingAnother object of the invention is the PI' and accelerating mechanism ofitself, forms vision of a safety device whereby the windno specific partof the invention.

ing mechanism will cease operating upon a Guide rollers 25,26,27 and 28servetoguide disarrangement of the film or a renderlng of the film 22around a tooth bearing drum or the same inoperative for proper feeding.feeder 29, from which the film passes around 30 Another object of theinvention is the prothe roller 30 in front of the light orifice 31,vision of a mechanism which will provide for forming a loop 32. A toothbearing drum 33 the shutting off of the light rays from the film engagesthe film, a springheld roller 34 servupon inoperativeness resulting fromany one ing to retain the film in engagement with the of severalpositions drum 38. The feeding mechanism of the de- Other objects willappear hereinafter. vice is controlled through a belt 35 and the 5 Theinvention Cons s s n t e ombi atiml electric motor 36 connected by thebelt 37 to and arrangement of parts hereinafter dea suitable sprocketWheel 38 mounted on the v scribed and claimedshaft 39 on which ispositioned a sprocket The invention will be best understood by a wheelfor driving the belt 35. This motor 36 reference to the accompanyingdrawings is electrically operated, the energy being sup- 9 which form apart of this specification and plied through a cable40 leading to aswitch in which, housing 41 from which one of the feed wires Fig. 1 isaside elevational vi w of a project-. 42 extends to the motor 36 and theother end ing machine with the film feeding and w ind-- wire 43 extendsto the housing 44, this wire 45 ing mechanism showing the invention at-43 being attached to a terminal 45 which is tached. connected to theswitch blade 46 adapted to Fig. 2 is av fragmentary enlarged sectional.engage between the spring contacts 47 and 48 view illustrating parts ofthe invention. to close the circuit to the wire 49, this w re 49 Fig. 3is a. fragmentary enlarged side eleleading to the motor 36, so that thecircuit vational view ofapart of the invention. to the motor extendsthrough the wire 42 through the wires 43 and 49 and the interposedswitch. This switch blade 46 is rock- 1ngly mounted on a stud 50 and aspring 51 serves normally to retain the blade 46 in elevated position sothat it does not engage between the contacts 47 and 48. Carried on theouter end of the switch blade 46is an abutment block 52 which is adaptedto be engaged by the shield bearing arm 53 which is pivotally mounted onthe shaft 54 in the housing 44, this arm riding in a slot 55 formed inthe housing 44, and normally held by the bow spring 56 in elevatedposition.

Mounted in the housing 44 is a magnetic coil 57 which is adapted tocontrol and operate the electric latch 58, this latch 58 engaging theangularly turned portion 59 of a plate 60 which is carried by the shieldbearing arm 53.

Swingably mounted on a bracket 61 is a lever 62 having the roller 63engaging the loop 32 of the film. Rockably mounted on the bracket 61 andinsulated therefrom is a contact arm 64 which is connected by the wire65 to a suitable source of electrical energy. The wire 66 is connectedto the pin 67 and the arrangement is such that should the film becomebroken or the perforations at the edge thereof become worn or torn sothat the loop 32 is taken up or destroyed by a breaking of the film topermit the lever 62 to rock on its pivot the rockably mounted contactmember 64 will engage the pin 67 and close the circuit to the magneticcoil 57 in the housing 44, thus releasing the electrical latch 58 andpermitting the shield bearing arm 53 to move upwardly in response to thepressure ofthe spring 56, this shield bearing arm 53 in its upward vmovement carrying the shield 68 into the position shown in Fig. 1, so asto prevent the light rays from the light housing 15 striking the film.

In this manner we have provided a means for shutting ofl the light fromthe film should any disarrangement of the film between the light orificeand the reel 21, for any reason, be brought about.

A presser lever 69 is generally used with projecting machines of thistype for pressing thefilm 22 against the feed drum 70, and mounted on anarm71, projecting outwardly from the presser arm 69, is a rockablymounted contact 72 which is connected by the wire 73 to a suitablesource of electrical energy. A contact 74is connected by the wire 75 tothe magnetic coil 57. Rockably mounted on the bracket arm 71 is an arm76 forming with the arm 77, a bell crank car'rying the roller 78 whichengages the film 22 after it passes over the feed drum 70. Should adisarrangement of the film take effect so that the film between the drum70 and the winding reel 23 becomes slack, as this film is held atthislowardly into engagement with the contact 74, this arm 72 beingnormally, through gravity, held out of engagement with the contact 74.When this movement is effected the circuit would be closed to themagnetic coil 57, thus operating the electrical latch and releasing theshield for movement to operative position. This mechanism would alsoprovide for the emergency which would arise should the motor cease, forany reason, to wind the film on the winding reel 23..

A hand-operated switch 79 is provided whereby the magnetic coil 57 maybe rendered inoperative, and the shield 68 retained in inoperativeposition.

In the diagrammatic view we have illustrated the wiring whereby thehousing 44 is represented by the square 44. The feed wires 80 and 81lead into the housing and correspond to the wires 43- and 49, the switch82 being positioned in the housing 41, this switch being a manuallyoperable one. The

source of electrical energy 83 is connected by the wire 84 to one end ofthe magnetic coil 57' used to operate the latch. The switch 79 isrepresented at 85'. The circuit closed by the contacts 64 and 67 isrepresented by the switch 86. The circuit closed by the contacts 73 and74 is represented by the switch 87.

Used with these projecting machines is a rockably mounted lever 88,termed a loop setter, to engage the loop 89. Projecting downwardly fromthe rear end of the loop setter 88 is a-bracket forming portion 90carrying a spring contact 91 connected by the 7 wire 92 to a suitablesourceof electrical energyand adapted to engage, upon rocking of thelink 88, the contact 93, which is connected by the wire 94 to themagnetic coil 57 The construction and arrangement is such that shouldthe loop 89 be lessened beyond a safe degree, the link 88 will rock onits pivot, being carried upwardly by the loop 89 and bring the contact91' into engagement with the contact 93, this closing the circuit to themagnetic coil 57 and'efiecting a release of the electrically operated,latch'58. In this 7 way the shielding member.'will bebrought tooperative position, even though a'lp'or'tion of the film between thedrum 70'and the winding reel 23 remains taut, and thisalsoprovidesagainst a defect in the actuating and retarding mechanism which servestoi operate the film during the process of winding and unwinding. Theswitch 95 indicated in the diagrammatic view represents "the contacts 91and H In thisway we have provided ajsafety attachment which may beeasily and quickly mounted upon the conventional projecting machine orwhich may be built into a moving picture machine, whereby protection isafi'orded against a fire resulting from excessive light rays beingdirected against the film, and it is believed. from the descriptiongiven that the various emergencies which may arise in the operation of aprojecting machine and the various imperfections in the film have beenprovided for. 5- While we have illustrated and described the preferredform of our invention, we do not wish to limit ourselves to the precisedetails of structure shown, but desire to avail ourselves of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: 1 1t 1. In a moving picture machine of theclass described having a light orifice, a light projector for projectinglight through said ori- I fice, winding reels, a film wound on saidreels, r and means for rotating a reel: a pivotally mounted arm. aprotective member mounted a on said arm for preventing. when inoperative position, direct travel of light from said projector throughsaid orifice. said protective member being normally in inoperativeposition: means for retainin said protective member in inoperativeposition; a plurality of means for effecting a release of said retaingmeans upon disarrangement of said film from normal condition betweensaid reels; resilient means engaging said arm for moving said protectivemember to operative position upon release of said retaining means:

a switch for controlling the operation of said rotating means: arockably mounted arm for closing said switch upon movement to closingposition; resilient means engageable with said rockable arm normallytending to move said rockable arm to non-closing position, said rockablearm being engaged by said pivotallv mounted arm upon movement of saidprotective member to inoperative position and retained in closingposition.

2. In a device of the class described, a pivotally mounted shieldbearing arm; a plate carried by said arm; an angularly turned portion onthe lower edge of said plate; resilient means for normally moving saidarm to operative position; an electric latch for engaging said angularlyturned portion and retaining said arm in inoperative position; a controlswitch; a switch blade for opening and closing said switch; resilientmeans normally tending to move said switch blade to inoperativeposition; an abutment block carried by said switch blade and engageablewith said shield bearing arm for moving said switch blade into operativeclosing position upon movement of said shield bearing arm intoinoperative position.

In testimony whereof we have signed the foregoing specification.

ROBERT HENRI. FLOYD H. AKINS.

